It doesn’t get much better than picking seasonal produce then making magic in the kitchen from it! My new favorite seasonal activity and the best apple pie recipe came about this past fall. You may know that in the past few years the Santa Ynez Valley has become one of my favorite spots to visit all year long. That being said, there’s just something about visiting in the Fall – the grape leaves changing colors in the vineyards, wine harvest in full swing (or coming to an end, depending on the month you visit), seasonal decor, pumpkin patches, and so much more! Not to mention all of the delicious seasonal produce on the menus at every restaurant.

My new favorite seasonal activity

On our last visit, I was so excited to hear about The Yard, a revitalized gem in the Santa Ynez Valley. Their mission is to bring the historic Dittmar’s Orchard and Vineyard back to life to honor their legacy of growing top tier apples.

“Doug Dittmar, at 88, left behind a remarkable legacy as the founder and longtime operator of Dittmar’s Greenhaven Apple Orchard in Solvang. Over 41 years, he transformed the orchard into a beloved local institution, known for its diverse apple varieties and welcoming atmosphere. Doug began the orchard as a part-time passion, eventually dedicating himself fully to farming. His commitment to quality and community helped the orchard thrive, making it a seasonal tradition since 1979 and cementing his place in the Santa Ynez Valley’s agricultural history.”

In the off season you may not be able to do my new favorite seasonal activity, but you can still enjoy the beautiful grounds and shop their farm stand, offering a variety of fresh fruits from nearby farms in Carpinteria.

My new favorite seasonal activity becomes the best apple pie recipe

After we got back home, I scoured the internet for some apple recipe inspiration. There were quite a few contenders, but I ended up picking somewhat of a classic. I’ve actually never made a dutch apple pie, but I always enjoy eating them, so it was time. I found a recipe on Bon Appetit for Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie. I tweaked quite a few things, so I’ll share that version of the recipe below.

Ingredients

CRUST

1⅓ cups (167 g) all-purpose flour plus more for dough-rolling surface

½ tsp sea salt flakes (I like Maldon) or ¼ tsp. regular salt

½ tsp granulated sugar

½ cup (1 stick) chilled butter (I prefer salted, especially with such a sweet pie), cut into ½” cubes

3 TBSP (or more) ice water

½ tsp apple cider vinegar

FILLING

about 3 lb (weigh while whole) apples (of your choice, fuji worked great for me), sliced around ¼” thick (I left the peel on and enjoyed the extra texture, but feel free to peel)

½ cup granulated sugar

2 TBSP all-purpose flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 TBSP butter, melted

TOPPING

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup (packed) brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp sea salt flakes (I like Maldon) or 1/8 tsp regular salt

3 TBSP chilled butter, cut into ½” cubes

ASSEMBLY

Vanilla ice cream

or homemade whipped cream to serve

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 – 2 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

CRUST

Mix 1⅓ cups (167 g) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp sea salt flakes (I like Maldon) or ¼ tsp regular salt, and ½ tsp granulated sugar in a large bowl.

Add ½ cup (1 stick) chilled butter of your choice, cut into ½” cubes to the bowl. Incorporate butter with dry ingredients squishing between your fingertips until a coarse meal forms. Mix 3 TBSP ice-cold water and ½ tsp apple cider vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle over flour mixture; stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more water by the teaspoon if too dry.

Note: If you’re unsure what this consistency should be like, start trying to make a ball out of the dough. It shouldn’t be sticky and there may be some dry bits at the bottom of the bowl that you’ll have to work into the ball, but otherwise it should be pretty easy to gather.

Gather dough into ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400°.

After 30 minutes is up, roll out dough on lightly floured surface to about 12” round. Transfer to a 9”-diameter glass pie dish. Turn edges in towards center of dish and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate while preparing the filling and topping.

FILLING

Mix together in large bowl to coat apples: about 3 lb apples of your choice (peeled, cored, sliced about ¼” thick), ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 TBSP all-purpose flour, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted. Set aside at room temperature.

Note: I know apple pies just about always call for Granny Smith but I’m coming to decide that that’s kind of a scam. I had these beautiful Fuji apples on hand from The Yard and our tree at home, so I used those and this came our perfect! Feel free to research the apple you want to use before committing, but I can confirm FUJI are good to go.

Note 2: As I mentioned in the ingredients list, I actually forgot to peel the apples before slicing and coring so I just went with it and actually really enjoyed the extra texture. Feel free to peel or not!

TOPPING

Pulse ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup (packed) brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and ¼ tsp sea salt flakes (I like Maldon) or 1/8 tsp regular salt in food processor to blend. Add 3 TBSP chilled butter, cut into ½” cubes and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.

Transfer filling to crust, mounding in center. Pack topping over and around filling. Bake pie at 400° on baking sheet until topping is golden, about 40 minutes (cover top with foil if browns too quickly). Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake until apples in center are tender when pierced and apple filling is bubbling thickly at edges (honestly there was so much topping in the original recipe, so I didn’t rely on this), about 45 minutes longer.

Cool until warm, about 1 hour.

ASSEMBLY

Serve with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

To make whipped cream you’ll want some sort of mixer (can be done by hand, but that’s a lot of unnecessary work). For about 2 cups of whipped cream you’ll whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 – 2 TBSP sugar (depending how sweet you’d like it) and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I feel like almond extract would be SO good too).

Serve your pie slice with the topping of your choice, or none at all! It’s delicious all of the ways. This also makes fantastic leftovers, just be sure to warm up your pie slice before serving and enjoying.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and plan an apple picking adventure next Fall!